Leaders remain whole no matter how many ad hoc situations or circumstances tempt them to cut corners. Leaders don’t cut corners. And leaders don’t get cornered. Or cut off.

Cut one of the arms of a starfish and a new arm will grow in its place. Leaders are like holograms. Leaders know you can’t cut away their wholeness.

Leaders Stay Whole

Cut a hologram in pieces and each piece still retains the whole picture, no matter how many pieces you cut from the original. The whole image remains intact on each of the smaller pieces. Leaders know you can’t cut away its wholeness.

Cut a starfish into pieces and any pieces that contain part of its central disc will develop into a new starfish. Leaders know you can’t cut away its wholeness.

Cut a magnet in half and you magnify more than weaken its power. You get two equally powerful magnets. Leaders know you can’t cut away its wholeness.

That’s why the leader in pro golf legend Bobby Jones remained whole and maintained his integrity, even though no one else would have known.

He penalized himself a stroke when his ball moved slightly before he addressed it. The penalty forced him into a tie for the US Open championship and then he lost in a playoff.

That’s why the leader in another professional golfer –Tom Kite–remained whole and maintained his integrity, even though no one else would have known. In the 1978 Hall of Fame Classic at Pinehurst, Kite penalized himself one stroke for moving the ball slightly before he addressed it. He finished second by a stroke.

That’s why the leader in another golf pro –Babe Didrikson –remained whole and maintained her integrity, even though no one else would have known. She penalized herself two strokes for playing the wrong ball and lost the tournament.

And that’s why in 2005, tennis pro –Andy Roddick- remained whole and maintained his integrity, even though no one else would have known. He could have accepted the umpire’s decision that his opponent’s serve was out of bounds in the Italia Masters Tournament in Rome. But Roddick knew better. He objected to the umpire’s favorable call. Instead of winning the point, Roddick lost not only that point but eventually the match.

Leaders know. They know themselves. They know how to stay whole –and holy–especially when no one’s in sight.